ave you ever felt as if you were swimming upstream? Upstream-as in conspicuously standing out in a very public forum. Upstream-as in sticking out when what you're saying isn't popular. Upstream-as in articulating a position that grates against the stated sentiments of the larger group. I felt that way recently.

I was invited to make a presentation on the subject of health care and diversity at a national conference in San Francisco. With the increasing racial, ethnic, cultural, and lifestyle diversification within North America, health-care systems are examining their service practices. Scores of health-care administrators, providers, and employees gathered for the conference, and many nationally known hospitals were represented.

One commonly articulated theme swirled around the accommodation of the sexual orientation and practices of employees. Many hospitals reported to the enthusiastic and appreciative audience the virtues of extending domestic partner benefits to their homosexual employees, of recruiting and retention efforts toward the gay community, of establishing gay employee support groups and accepting sexual lifestyle variations. For two full days of the conference, in presentation after presentation, open-mindedness reigned supreme and tolerance was celebrated.

When it was my turn, I began by showing the diversity service video we use in new employee orientation at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Diversity Makes a Difference. I then went on to discuss how we deliver our employee training. I distributed preview copies of our diversity service-training workbook. After 50 minutes of presentation, I opened the floor for questions.

A man who represented one of the national hospital corporations raised his hand. "What is Loma Linda's position on sexual orientation?" he asked.

I responded: "Loma Linda has one standard applicable to both hetero- and homosexual persons: celibacy before marriage; monogamy within marriage."

He retorted immediately, "Does Loma Linda hire practicing homosexuals or extend benefits to their partners?"

"Not knowingly," I responded.

Obviously unhappy with my answer, he chortled, "How can you all do that?" I wish you could have heard the hush that fell over that room. I prayed silently, "Lord, give me the grace to defuse this tense situation without giving needless offense."

I looked at the group and said, "My friends, would we not all agree that Loma Linda, as a faith-based, confessional institution, has the prerogative to hire persons consistent with its faith community?" The audience nodded. Then I added, "I know that some might hear traces of witch-hunts and intolerance when you hear that position. But that is not the Loma Linda I know and work for. Delivery of care is not predicated on sexual orientation or lifestyle."

I wish I could report that the audience stood and applauded our church's position. They did not. I can only pray that my answer, while true to Scripture and the positions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, reflected the truth in as loving a way as possible.

Swimming upstream is not easy! Our collective culture in North America makes strong moral positions difficult to sell. Begin with a constitution that protects the rights of the individual, design a government dedicated to not infringing upon the consciences of citizens, grow a culture of pleasure that over time relegates religion to the private sphere, elevate tolerance as one of our highest social values and-voilà!-we who stand with the Word of God are often considered narrow-minded extremists on our best days, and on our worst, bigots.

I am reminded of three young men who swam upstream many years ago. Their king was committed. The image was built. The command was given (see Daniel 3). But the three Hebrews stood while many of their colleagues bowed. Their rationale? "Our God is able."

Ellen G. White wrote: "He who walked with the Hebrew worthies in the fiery furnace will be with His followers wherever they are" (Prophets and Kings, p. 513).

So take the plunge. Upstream is the only direction God knows!

_________________________
Leslie N. Pollard serves as vice president for diversity at Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center.